During this visit, you should work with one or more groups of students if you haven't already, and observe your teacher doing the same. For this journal entry, describe your teacher's teaching style. What type of relationships with students does he or she nurture in his or her classes? How do students perceive that power is distributed in the classes? Does this vary within or across the different classes the teacher has? Cite examples from your observations to support your inferences. Remember to reflect on what style of teaching you will gravitate toward and the how you want to be perceived by your students.
Observe a laboratory activity or base your answer on past visits. How does your CT conduct a typical laboratory activity? How does he or she open the activity and organize student groups? How do students learn what they're expected to do during the period? Reflect on your reading about the NGSS science and engineering practices. What science practices do you want to stress when you're teaching?
It is a Wednesday morning at Curtis Corner Middle School, I have spoken to my CT about the plans for today, she had warned me about a "messy" but fun lab that the students usually enjoy. I arrive right before the first class period begins and help her set out the materials for the lab. This includes a bowl of "ooze" which she made from corn starch, flower and water. The purpose of this lab is for students to play around with the "ooze" and determine what form of matter it is. When the students begin to arrive, their faces light up when they see the room covered in table cloths and materials they have never seen before. My CT, Mrs. Hoddersen raises her voice and repeats not to touch anything just yet. Mrs. Hoddersen knows that the students are eager to begin playing with the ooze and she quickly gives them the simple instructions to follow what the sheets at their seats say and to make sure that they write down their observations and take turns. She also tells them that they must keep their hands over the bowl so that they do not cause more of a mess than necessary. Mrs. Hoddersen has a good relationship with her students, she is able to keep authority while remaining friendly and positive to her students. For the most part, students respect Mrs. Hoddersen except for the occasional speaking out or not listening to her rules of not to touch anything until she says. I believe that this disobedience comes directly from the age that these adolescents are at, and not from disrespecting power. Even when students interrupt Mrs. Hoddersen she does not yell or turn it into a big deal, instead she answers the student quickly and redirects them to her directions or reminds a student that she said do not touch anything yet. Mrs. Hoddersen's teaching style does not drastically change with each class. The only thing she modifies is having materials on the tables when the students walk in. After her first period, she does not keep materials on the table and hands them out only after she is done giving students directions. This allows her to reduce any dead time that could happen in the period. Students work in small groups as Mrs. Hoddersen walk around the room and assist them. Students have the most problems with choosing who will put their hands in the bowl at what time and keeping track of their observations. Mrs. Hoddersen does not give much direction to students before the lab other than to follow the instructions on the worksheet, which are straight forward. The instructions just have the steps on what to do to the "ooze" and do not mention anything about group organization. If I were to conduct this lab the only thing I would do differently is the opening to the lab. I would have notes written on the board stating that students should decide who will put their hands in the bowl first, second and third. These notes would also include that students should have a designated note taker for each instruction on the sheet. I think that clearly stating these expectations first would help the lab run more smoothly because students are aware of exactly how the lab should be running.
For this lab, students performed a series of tests on the "ooze" to determine what form of matter it may be. (Solid, liquid, gas) The trick about this lab was that depending on each test, the "ooze" would exhibit a different form of matter, either a solid or a liquid. The true goal of this experiment was to get students thinking about what makes each form of matter different and to analyze data to support their claims. Throughout this lab, Mrs. Hoddersen and I walk around and ask students what they think the "ooze" is. Many of them are stumped and cannot decide between a liquid or solid. Some students have an opinion and when asked why they think that, they use statements based on what they had seen or felt. Mrs. Hoddersen encourages them to use their tests to back up their claims. Analyzing and interpreting data is an important standard on the NGSS. Students collect their data and Mrs. Hoddersen and I guide them through analyzing and interpreting it through questioning. They also have discussion questions on their worksheet that they talk about as a group and finish at home as individuals. Another important standard that the NGSS states is that students should learn how to engage in an argument from evidence. Mrs. Hoddersen meets this standard on her class on an individual level by having student answer questions at home. I think that engaging students in a debate about what the "ooze" is by separating students by what they believe would be a great way to even further the expectations of this standard. By engaging in a class debate, students would be able to split into teams and gather evidence together to try to convince the other team that they are correct. I also think that this would be a great way to begin this kind of argumentation as a practice for when the students progress into high school, where backing up claims with evidence is an even larger part of a science class lab.
It is a Wednesday morning at Curtis Corner Middle School, I have spoken to my CT about the plans for today, she had warned me about a "messy" but fun lab that the students usually enjoy. I arrive right before the first class period begins and help her set out the materials for the lab. This includes a bowl of "ooze" which she made from corn starch, flower and water. The purpose of this lab is for students to play around with the "ooze" and determine what form of matter it is. When the students begin to arrive, their faces light up when they see the room covered in table cloths and materials they have never seen before. My CT, Mrs. Hoddersen raises her voice and repeats not to touch anything just yet. Mrs. Hoddersen knows that the students are eager to begin playing with the ooze and she quickly gives them the simple instructions to follow what the sheets at their seats say and to make sure that they write down their observations and take turns. She also tells them that they must keep their hands over the bowl so that they do not cause more of a mess than necessary. Mrs. Hoddersen has a good relationship with her students, she is able to keep authority while remaining friendly and positive to her students. For the most part, students respect Mrs. Hoddersen except for the occasional speaking out or not listening to her rules of not to touch anything until she says. I believe that this disobedience comes directly from the age that these adolescents are at, and not from disrespecting power. Even when students interrupt Mrs. Hoddersen she does not yell or turn it into a big deal, instead she answers the student quickly and redirects them to her directions or reminds a student that she said do not touch anything yet. Mrs. Hoddersen's teaching style does not drastically change with each class. The only thing she modifies is having materials on the tables when the students walk in. After her first period, she does not keep materials on the table and hands them out only after she is done giving students directions. This allows her to reduce any dead time that could happen in the period. Students work in small groups as Mrs. Hoddersen walk around the room and assist them. Students have the most problems with choosing who will put their hands in the bowl at what time and keeping track of their observations. Mrs. Hoddersen does not give much direction to students before the lab other than to follow the instructions on the worksheet, which are straight forward. The instructions just have the steps on what to do to the "ooze" and do not mention anything about group organization. If I were to conduct this lab the only thing I would do differently is the opening to the lab. I would have notes written on the board stating that students should decide who will put their hands in the bowl first, second and third. These notes would also include that students should have a designated note taker for each instruction on the sheet. I think that clearly stating these expectations first would help the lab run more smoothly because students are aware of exactly how the lab should be running.
For this lab, students performed a series of tests on the "ooze" to determine what form of matter it may be. (Solid, liquid, gas) The trick about this lab was that depending on each test, the "ooze" would exhibit a different form of matter, either a solid or a liquid. The true goal of this experiment was to get students thinking about what makes each form of matter different and to analyze data to support their claims. Throughout this lab, Mrs. Hoddersen and I walk around and ask students what they think the "ooze" is. Many of them are stumped and cannot decide between a liquid or solid. Some students have an opinion and when asked why they think that, they use statements based on what they had seen or felt. Mrs. Hoddersen encourages them to use their tests to back up their claims. Analyzing and interpreting data is an important standard on the NGSS. Students collect their data and Mrs. Hoddersen and I guide them through analyzing and interpreting it through questioning. They also have discussion questions on their worksheet that they talk about as a group and finish at home as individuals. Another important standard that the NGSS states is that students should learn how to engage in an argument from evidence. Mrs. Hoddersen meets this standard on her class on an individual level by having student answer questions at home. I think that engaging students in a debate about what the "ooze" is by separating students by what they believe would be a great way to even further the expectations of this standard. By engaging in a class debate, students would be able to split into teams and gather evidence together to try to convince the other team that they are correct. I also think that this would be a great way to begin this kind of argumentation as a practice for when the students progress into high school, where backing up claims with evidence is an even larger part of a science class lab.